District-union partnership is a promising model for student achievement gains

JUST FIVE YEARS AGO, Mildred Avenue K-8 School in Mattapan was one of the worst performing schools in the Boston Public School system and ranked in the lowest percentile of public schools statewide. When the school was in peril of being placed under state control, district and school leaders and the teachers union — often(...)

Jessica Tang says she’ll bring a different style, but no change in values, as the new president of the Boston Teachers Union

Photograph by Frank Curran What will be different about the Boston Teachers Union under your leadership? One thing that I’ve brought to the union is a focus on organizing and working with students, families, community members and coalition building. But we’ll also continue to do a lot of what I guess you would call the(...)

National Teacher of the Year to be invited to speak to members

THE MASSACHUSETTS TEACHERS ASSOCIATION may not be interested in hearing from Sydney Chaffee, the Boston charter school educator who was recently named National Teacher of the Year, but the Boston Teachers Union wants her to come address its members. Richard Stutman, the longtime president of the union representing Boston Public Schools teachers, said his leadership(...)